Jennifer Leeper

I wanted to send a solo email focused on an issue that I know is important to many in our district - the Department of Transportation's vegetation management protocols.



In a bill the Connecticut General Assembly passed during our legislative session, we required that the DOT develop updated guidelines on tree and vegetation management, removal, and replacement along state highways for maintenance and construction projects.



Among other things, the guidelines must address the following:

• DOT's general roadside vegetation management activities
• The safety of the traveling public
• Beautification, enhancements, and the effect on scenic roads
• Visibility enhancements
• The work's environmental impact

The goal of these new guidelines is to ensure the impacts of the projects on the environment, landscape, and noise pollution are balanced or outweighed by measures taken to avoid and minimize them. Essentially, we're broadening the scope of these projects to factor in their impact on the residents that live nearby, strengthening the voice of local communities.

The DOT will present these recommendations to the Transportation and Environment Legislative Committees in January 2024, and there will be a public hearing. I will share the details of that public hearing once it is announced in the hopes you will make your voices heard.

In addition, the department must establish a priority rating system to rank the projects and use the system to create a project priority list. This ranking system is an effort to make Type II projects eligible for Federal funding. 



Lastly, this legislation requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a one-year pilot program to test a vehicle’s maximum decibel level during an emissions inspection. It extends two related deadlines for the DMV commissioner to:



1. Submit to the General Assembly an implementation plan, as well as legislation and funding recommendations, for a statewide decibel level testing program at official emissions inspection stations, from January 1, 2023, to October 1, 2023 (§ 35); and



2. With the advice of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, amend current regulations setting maximum vehicle decibel levels and related testing procedures and submit them to the Regulation Review Committee, from January 1, 2024, to October 1, 2024 (§ 36).



While this bill might not solve every problem, it is a strong step in the right direction, and is a starting point for even better policies around vegetation management that factor in more substantially the long-term impact these projects have on residents.